Means for lubricating railway car journals



April 23, 1940. E. M. BARBER 2,198,569

MEANS FOR LUBRICATING RAILWAY CAR JOURNALS Filed March 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .FIG.1.

EVERETT M. BARBER INVENTOR BY fydmzm ATTORNEY April 23, 1940. E, B E 2,198,569

I MEANS FOR LUBRICATING RAILWAY vCAR JOURNALS Filed March 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3.

EVERETT M. BARBER INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNETED STTES ns sts MEANS FOR LUBRICATING RAILWAY CAR JOURNALS ration of Delaware Application March 5, 1937, Serial No. 129,142

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improved means for lubricating railway car journals and more particularly to means for pumping oil from a journal box directly to the point of contact between the journal axle and its bearing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for applying a fluid lubricant such as lubricating oil to railway car journals in such a way as to overcome the known disadvanlO tages in the present system of lubrication which generally relies upon oil saturated waste to hold and apply the lubricant to the car journal. To this end the present invention contemplates the complete elimination of the usual waste and the provision of means for positively supplying sufficient lubricating oil to provide for the desirable conditions of fluid film lubrication, utilizing the usual journal box, brass, and wedges. Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the type above described which can readily be installed in existing equipment at a minimum cost, generally approximating the cost of one or two waste packings.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will more readily appear as the detailed description thereof progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section through a journal box with the apparatus which forms the subject matter of the present invention shown applied to the journal.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partially in section,

' taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken on line l-t of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the journal bearing.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-4: of

Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a modified form of the lubricator of this invention.

Fig. 8 is enlarged sectional view taken on 5 line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

By reference to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that an axle ill with its journal 52 extends into a journal box It through an opening l6. A hinged cover (not shown) is normally provided for the opposite end of the box M. A dust guard (not shown) may be positioned in a slot l8 provided for that purpose.

In accordance with the present invention the bottom of the journal box I4 constitutes a reservoir 21! for the oil which is to be applied to the journal l2 and its bearing 22, which, in the usual form, fits about the upper portion of the journal over an arc of Normally the oil in the reservoir 29 is kept at a level indicated in Fig. l by the broken line 26. The usual waste 5.v packing is not used and consequently, to prevent undue splashing of oil in the reservoir 20, front and rear baffies 26 and 28 respectively, are provided, the rear baffle 23 being somewhat higher than baffle 26. l0

. The journal bearing 22 may be, according to standard practice, lined with brass as indicated at 3B in Fig. 6. The bearing, or its lower face which is in contact with the journal i2, is provided with two oppositely disposed and parallel axial grooves 32, 32 each of which communicates with a hole 3% drilled through the wall of the bearing. The outer end of each hole M, 34 is threaded to receive a pipe fitting 36 and each fitting is connected to a flexible hose 38, the 20 purpose of which will presently be described.

A viscosity pump, indicated generally at 4B in Fig. l, is provided for positively supplying oil from the reservoir 28 to one or the other of grooves 32, depending upon the direction of ro- 25 tation of the journal l2. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the viscosity pump includes an inner solid disk M which is secured concentrically tothe end of the journal [2 by a plurality of, preferably three, bolts it. There is 30 an outer ring it which is formed in two parts 46' and 36 (see Fig. 2), each part being provided at opposite extremities with outstanding flanges #38 by means of which the two parts 46' and 35" may be secured together by bolts 53, 50. 35 Cantilever springs 52, 52 are secured on opposite sides of the inner wall of the journal box I4 and each of these springs is arranged in such manner as to bear down upon one of the bolts 58 or upon one of the flanges 43 in order to hold the outer 40 ring 26 against rotation. As shown in Fig. 3, the ring 45 is channeled as indicated at 41 and has spaced depending flanges 5 5 and 54' which slightly clear the disk 32 and prevent any substantial side play of the ring. The ring 46 rests 45 upon and is supported by the inner disk 42 at the upper portion of the latter.

The lower half 56'. of ring it is formed with a radius of curvature which is offset slightly from the center of the inner disk $2. This construction gives to the channel or groove 4'! greater depth at the bottom and causes the wall of the ring to converge towards the disk 42 in both directions until there is only a slight clearance, 55

perhaps .05 of an inch, adjacent the region of the flanges 48.

The bottom of ring 46 is provided with a plurality of holes 56, four being shown in Figs. 2 and 7, which extend through its wall from the outside thereof and at their inner ends communicate with the channel 41. The bottom of the ring is partially immersed in the oil in the reservoir 20 so that oil is free to enter the channel 47 through the holes 56. Upon the rotation of the journal l2 and the attached disk 42, in either direction, oil will be drawn upwardly by the viscosity effect produced by the movement of the disk 42 within the stationary ring 45 along the channel 4'! in the direction of rotation, and will create an oil pressure at the upper, smaller end of the channel.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 4 that section 46" of ring @6- is provided near each of its two upper extremities with a short bore 58, each of the bores communicating at one end with one of the small upper ends of the channel 41. Each of these bores is intersected by a right angle bore 60 which opens on the back side of the ring. The outer ends of bores 60, 60 are each threaded to receive pipe fittings 62, 62 through which connection is made to the flexible hoses 38, 38, previously referred to.

- If desired, the inner solid disk 42 may be provided with a plurality of spring pressed plungers 64 for the purpose of supplementing the viscosity action of the pump and positively raising oil from the bottom of channel i'l' to the bores 58, 58. The plungers 64 are yieldingly mounted in suitable recesses 65 formed in the peripheral edge of the disk, and by reason of the action of springs 68 they are constantly forced into engagement with the outer wall of the channel 41.

From the foregoing it will be seen that as the journal 12 and disk 42 rotate in either direction oil will be raised, both by the viscosity eifect and by the mechanical action of the plungers 64, from the bottom of the channel 41 to one or the other of the bores 58, 58 from which it passes through the corresponding connecting bore Bil, flexible hose 38 to the leading groove 32 in the bearing 22. From this groove a film of oil is continuously applied to the rotating journal 12 which will wipe it over the entire bearing surface and provide full and complete fluid lubrication.

Obviously, many modifications and variations may be made in the invention as herein set forth without departing from the spirit and scope of curvature of the lower portion of said ring being offset from the center of said disk and the bottom of said ring being provided with openings for the passage of oil from the box to the bottom of the ring, and radially acting means mounted in said disk for supplementing the viscosity action of the disk as oil is raised from the bottom of said ring by the rotation of the disk within .the ring.

2. The combination with a car journal and a journal box adapted to contain lubricating oil, of means for pumping oil from said box tosaid bearing, said means comprising a disk secured on the end of the journal concentrically therewith, a channeled ring enclosing the edge of said the rotating disk to pump oil from the box, and

means for conveying the oil pumped from the box to the top of the journal.

3. The combination with a railway car journal and a journal box adapted to contain a predetermined quantity of lubricating oil, of a pump for pumping oil from said box, said pump comprising a disk secured on the end of the journal concentrically therewith, a channeled ring having an opening through its bottom wall supported by said disk and enclosing the peripheral edge thereof, the bottom portion of said ring being immersed in the oil in the journal box. and means including a plurality of plungers yieldingly mounted in the peripheral edge of the disk for supplementing the viscosity action thereof and assisting in raising oil entering the bottom of said ring and pumping it to the part to be lubricated.

4. The combination with a railway car journal and a journal box adapted to contain lubricating oil, of a pump for pumping oil from said box, said pump comprising a disk secured on the end of the journal concentrically therewith, a channeled ring enclosing the edge of said disk and supported by said disk at the upper portion thereof, said ring being formed with an opening in the bottom thereof for the passage of oil from said box to the bottom portion of the ring, outwardly extending flanges on opposite sides of said ring, resilient means secured on opposite inner walls of the journal box and adapted to cooperate with said flanges and means including a plurality of spring-pressed plungers mounted in the peripheral edge of the disk for supplementing the viscosity action thereof and assisting in raising oil entering the bottom of said ring and pumping it to the part to be lubricated.

EVERETT M. BARBER.

v CERTJIICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,198,569. April 25, 191w.

EVERETT M. BARBER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above number ed patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, sec- I ,ond colugmn, line 58, claim LL, after the word "flanges" insert -to prevent.

rotation of the ring,--;' and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correc tion 'therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in v the Patent Office. I I

Signed and sealed this 18th day of June, A. D. l 9L O.

Henry Van Arsdaie Acting Commissioner of Patents I 

